Plugs scratching eye

[Delilah]

Thank-you Lucy

Lucy,
I'd like to Thank-you for sticking up for the Stringy Eyed D lol, yes I still have some humor, hey if I didn't I'd be six feet under already My eye doctor in Salt Lake wants to put plugs in and I said no, then when he called me to tell me he put the okay in for the Castor Oil Drops he said I think it's time to try the plugs and I said okay, but I haven't rescheduled with him yet, I will go next month to get another schrimmers test done and so he can see if the Restasis and the Castor Oil Drops are doing any good for me, but I am not going to let him put plugs in, especially when I live 2 hours away!!

I do know myself, I'd end up getting them and having nothing but trouble, wasting gas and driving back and fourth to Utah. The Castor oil drops are working pretty good, my eyes feel much better, not completely better but better than before I started using these drops. These drops put so much moisture back into my eyes and they calm the strings down a lot more. Well I better get going, I just had to say Thank-you. Ciao D

[shells]

Hi everyone,

Well, this plug this is just not working out. I had the absolute worst experience at the doctor this morning. I went back and she said that the right eye still looked good, and that although the left eye was still irritated, there was no longer an abrasion, so it must have healed. So, as you can imagine I was pretty happy. I told her that I could still feel them, but only at times, and it was much better than before. So, she said that for my left eye, she could either pull it out, since I could still feel it, or she could try to adjust it a bit to try to make it more comfortable, and then give me an anti-inflammatory for the next few days and I'd come in next week to see how it was.

I asked her that if she did pull it out today, what my other options would be, and she said that she didn't think trying another plug (with the cap) would work, so that my only other options were intracannicular plugs (the kind that get pushed all the way down) or cautery, but we had already decided it was not time to go that route. So, she goes to "adjust" the plugs for me (left and right even though the right was feeling pretty good), and they feel good, so I drive all the way to work and when I get there pull my lids down to look since they are surprisingly comfortable, and they are not there! She pushed them INTO my punctum .

Lucy made a very good post about "going with your gut" and the only thing that my gut has ever told me about plugs is to not get intracannicular ones! I've probably already even mentioned it above somewhere, but after reading some bad stories and talking to some people who had problems, I am scared to death of them. So, I called right away to ask WHY she did this. After all, isn't the point of toughing it out to see if I could tolerate the plug with the cap, so that I could have a plug with a cap?????? She claimed she just tapped it and it went in but was still sitting flush with my eyelid she thought that it didn't go all the way in, so I went straight back up there, but she couldn't find them . They had already migrated too far down for her to pull out.

I was SO UPSET and it was obvious to her. So, she says that the only way to get it out is to flush it out but she recommends that we wait until Tuesday to see if it helps me. I'm not sure I made the right decision, but I was just so upset that somehow I had let this happen that I demanded she flush it out. I realize there are risks involved with that as well, but I absolutely HATE HATE HATE the idea of having a permanent plug down there and not knowing where it is. I'm so mad at myself for letting this happen!! So, I had her flush it out. Ofcourse, even with irrigation, it is still not easy to tell if it is gone or not, but she said it was. Apparently this was her first time ever flushing a plug out as well, so that doesn't make me feel any better either.

I just really hope I made the right decision, and that my plugs both made it out and aren't hung up in my lacrimal system somewhere. Perhaps I should have just left them in there, but that is NOT what I wanted. I completely thought we were on the same wavelength and she knew what I was looking for. I never thought in a million years she would push it in there, and to be honest, even though she says she meant to do that, I think she may have screwed up. She said that she consulted with her partner, and called the company to see what to do about it now that it had gotten pushed down, so that does not sound to me like someone who meant to push it down there.

Anyway, now I'm sore, and annoyed and plugless, and so much for my few days of putting up with it and toughing it out, because they are gone now. Even the one in the right eye which was doing quite well.

I'm not sure why I'm rambling on here, I'm just upset I guess. I suppose this is a good lesson to everyone to make sure that you and your doctor are on the same page about everything!!! After this experience, I do not trust her anymore and I do not like the way she treated me. When I got upset she threw my consent form that I signed for the plugs in my face like she thought I was gonna sue her or something, and then said, well, I didn't realize that anxiety was an issue here. Like it was my anxiety that made her do something stupid like pushing a plug with a cap on it into my cannicula! I don't plan on seeing her again.

Agggghhhhh!!!!!! OK, I have vented, and I have been heard, I'm done now.

[kitty]

Shells, I'm sorry you had such a rough experience. From what I have read, the plugs with caps are NOT intended to be pushed into the punctum. I think you should find another doctor, and find out if there is an x-ray, ultrasound, or some mechanism by which it can be determined whether or not the plugs were actually flushed away. I would not let this stop you from trying plugs again, as long as you can be certain that these plugs are long gone. The right plug inserted by the right doctor has been known to help many people. What kind of plugs did you have? (brand name) You can go to their web site and see if there is any physician information that you can look at regarding how they are to be inserted, and what should be done if they are inserted too far. You should also be able to find out whether they are radiopaque (visible on x-ray). The doctor's defensiveness would certainly make me think that she felt she made a mistake.

[Flick]

Shells - I'm so sorry that you had such a bad experience. I think you should definitely find a new doctor. It's hard enough having dry eye, when things like this happen when you're just trying to help yourself it is just awful.

Delilah - maybe you could try getting a temporary collagen plug just to see if having it helps you. They dissolve after 5-6 days and I don't think there's really any risks with them. If it helps you, then maybe you can think about different types. If not, then forget about it.

[shells]

Hey guys,

Thanks for the kind words and advice. I actually do have another doctor that I really like, and I was just about to drop this other one, but I already had the appointment and the referral for the plugs, so I figured, what is the harm in having her do them? I had NO idea that something like this could happen. I know that problems with plugs getting lost/lodged/etc. are rare, it is just that after my lasik outcome, I'm not into taking ANY risks with my eyes no matter how small the chance. Actually, my doctor tried to tell me that I should just leave them because she has never had a patient have a problem with a plug getting imbedded and infected and that it is very rare. I reminded her that "very rare" were the words used when I was handed my lasik consent form.

I called right away and made another appt. with my new doctor (the one I like) for 2 weeks from now to discuss what to do about new plugs, the old plugs, etc. I really do want to try new plugs again, and I was almost to the point of being happy with these ones. I just want the ones I can see, so that I know that they are there and not causing problems elsewhere. I would also definitely like to know for sure if they are out, but I'm just not sure that is possible. I will ask my other doctor about the x-ray thing you mentioned, Kitty. The plugs were Super Eagle buy Eagle Vision. If you look on the website under FAQS, for "what if a plug migrates below the opening" it says to call them for information. It sounds like that is what she did. It doesn't make me comfortable thought that she NEEDED to call. Aren't doctors supposed to know what to do about these things? That is what leads me to believe that she just screwed up and didn't want to admit it.

-Shells

[Peggy]

Shells,
I am so sorry for what you have been through...thinking of you and I know your upbeat attitude will get you through this. I cannot believe that she went and got your consent form. If you weren"t already anxious that would put you right on the edge that was very insensitive of her. Hang in there and go with your gut with the next dr.
Peggy

[shells]

Hi Peggy,

Thanks. She didn't actually get the form, but she reminded me of it saying that I had signed it and knew of all the possible risks, and then made me sign another one for the irrigation procedure. She was trying to explain to me what these forms meant and even mentioned the one I probably had to sign for lasik, like I didn't realize that I pretty much signed away my eyes to the doctor during all of these procedures. She was totally on the defensive when she was doing this too, because I didn't go in there angry and accusing her, I was actually a wreck when I went in there and just wanted her to fix the problem. I just know how much you have been through Peggy, with your plug and the pain it has caused, which is why I was so incredibly upset that this was done without my consent. I think about you alot, and I hope that you get some answers about your pain soon.

-Shells

[SusieD]

Shells, my concerns with plugs are exactly the same as yours. I will never let a doctor persuade me to have the intracannicular plugs again- and a few have tried. I just dont feel comfortable with the idea. You definately did the right thing insisting they get flushed out- I would have done the same, you cant carry on with other interventions and possibly put other plugs in when you dont know where the old ones are.

I had form-fit plugs that go inside a while ago, and while the only problem Ive had has been that theyve been uneffective, I still want to know that theyre gone before I have anything else done. It is just common sense. The only thing I am grateful for is that these plugs stay in a soft gel like state so there are no hard edges to cause any damage. There is still an infection risk though I would have thought. I never wanted those kind to begin with but allowed myself to be bullied a little by the doctor (so much for patient choice!). I wouldnt let it happen again.

Hope your situation gets resolved.
Take care.

[Missy]

Hi Shells!

I've been wondering how you were doing with the plugs and I'm sorry to read that you've had so much trouble with your doctor. I would have been very scared to get the plugs flushed out... did it hurt? I hope that the doctor you are seeing this week can get you fixed up.

Do you think that you will try plugs again?

Missy

[shells]

Hi Missy,

It did not hurt when she did the irrigation, but I wouldn't say it was pleasant either. I'm not even sure that she did it right though (it was her first time doing it apparently), so I'll have to talk to my other doctor next week about where to go from here. I do want to try plugs again, I just want it to be on my own terms...NO INTRACANNICULAR!!!!!!!!!

-Shells

[shells]

Just an update....

I saw my other doctor today, and she was not convinced that the plugs were out. She was a bit concerned because she wasn't even sure how effective irrigation would be on a plug that was not supposed to be intracannicular. So, she set me up with an appointment with a colleague of hers who is an occuplastic surgeon. I will go see her in 3 weeks. She just wants to make sure that the plugs are out, and if not, how to get them out, etc. before we try any new plugs. It does stink to have to keep waiting to try new plugs since I'm kind of going through a rough patch here and would like to try something soon, BUT, I do agree with her approach. Better safe than sorry!

Shells

[Missy]

I'm glad that your new doctor is taking such a concerned approach. I know that you are anxious to get something done. Hopefully those old plugs are gone and you can get some new ones put in soon!

Missy

[crispen_2000]

occuplastic surgeon

It's a good thing you're seeing an occuplastic surgeon...my eye doctor reffered me to one in London, Ontario at the Ivey Eye Centre. They specialize in such things.

I hope everything turns out well for you and that there isn't any complications with left-over plugs...sheesh...

Trevor

[shells]

Thanks everyone,

My doctor called me this morning with some new information. Originally she thought that I would be going in for lacrimal irrigation. However, she spoke with the occuplastic surgeon yesterday about my situation, and apparently the surgeon does not recommend irrigation for this situation, since my plugs were NOT supposed to be intracannicular. She said that she would work with me to try to discover where the plugs are, and then we could discuss the options to remove them, but that irrigation would not be one of them. She also wants me to start on Doxycycline today so I can be on it for a few weeks before I see her. I'm not totally sure why she wants me to take this (something about reducing inflammation...maybe in my lacrimal system???), but since it might even be good for my dry eyes, I don't mind.

I'm a bit confused though. If you can't pull a plug out from the top, and you can't irrigate it out, then how the heck do you remove it?

-Shells

[indrep]

I would certainly be interested in hearing of a new technique to remove an intracanalicular lodged plug.